‘I’m conscious of the huge honour it means’
SETTING up a charity in memory of his daughter was an obvious thing to do and not a difficult one for Allister Carey.
The 71-year-old, who established the Eleanor Foundation in July 2012, was made an MBE for his services to sustainable development in Africa.
‘It came as a terrific shock,’ he said. ‘I had a mass of different reactions – the first being to take it all in – and I’m conscious of the huge honour it means.’
While the award is to an individual, Mr Carey said he did not see it that way.
‘It reflects on the energy and enthusiasm of all the volunteers who help the charity locally and the three people who work for us in Tanzania, doing the heavy lifting.’
Mr Carey was born and educated in Guernsey. He spent more than 30 years of his life as a stockbroker.
Daughter Eleanor was 22, and studying international development, when she was killed in a cycle accident in London in December 2011. She had a particular interest in water sanitation and hygiene.
‘She felt everyone should have access to that basic need,’ said Mr Carey. ‘Setting up the charity seemed obvious as (a) she had not been able to achieve the objectives she set herself, and (b) it was a very cathartic thing to do.’
He did not put too much weight on the fact that the honour coincided with the 10th anniversary of his daughter’s death.
‘The award has an air of poignancy about it regardless of when it was made,’ he said.
Ensuring the charity was sustainable was the key objective going forward.
‘I’m mindful of the fact that at the age of 71, the time for me to stop doing what I do gets closer every day and we need to have a succession plan.
‘As long as there is a need for this sort of work to be done in this small part of Tanzania in which we work, then we will do it.’
